What about the steelworkers?

What about the steelworkers?

EDITOR:

Having been a steelworker for 25 years, I’m finding very interesting the events that are occurring with Delphi and GM retirees. As I read their letters and other articles, I can’t help but wonder where was and is all the help that they get from politicians and media? My union brothers and sisters and I have been dealing with these issues for quite a while. But now that it’s the auto workers, it seems to be a different story. And believe me, we did try to get help.

I have a pension with PPGC. It’s about half what I should get and they’re trying to take that away. We are appealing.

We had successorship rights in our contract that have been violated by our union. Under the agreement we should have had recall rights to our plant if it reopened within two years which it did, but we were denied jobs. A lawsuit against the union has been dragging on in the courts for 4 pleas years now.

We lost health care immediately when the plant shut down in August 2002. Cobra and Vela were offered, both very costly.

So it’s hard to offer a sympathetic ear to auto workers when it seemed that no one was there for us when we went through this. It’s not that I don’t feel that you deserve what you earned. I feel we should all get what we deserve for putting those years in. Contracts are supposed to be binding. But I don’t recall any auto worker rushing to our side when we were in need.

JACK THOMAS

Struthers